Hydraulic actuator and control valve

Abstract

A hydraulic actuator for orthopaedic devices has a control valve in a flow channel which has an inlet and an outlet for a hydraulic fluid. The control valve has a valve sleeve and a valve member. The valve sleeve has a sleeve wall which forms a receiving space and in which at least one radially orientated inlet opening is formed. The valve member is displaceably arranged inside the receiving space of the valve sleeve between a closed position and an open position and opens in the outlet. The valve member has at least one valve member wall which is opposite the at least one inlet opening and in which a through-opening which is opposite the corresponding inlet opening in the open position is formed. The valve member forms a hollow space in which a diffuser insert which redirects the hydraulic fluid in the direction towards the outlet is arranged.

1 . A hydraulic actuator for orthopaedic devices, comprising:
 a control valve in a flow channel which has an inlet and an outlet for a hydraulic fluid, wherein the control valve comprises
 a valve sleeve and a valve member,
 wherein the valve sleeve has a sleeve wall which forms a receiving space, wherein at least one radially orientated inlet opening is formed in the receiving space, 
 wherein the valve member is displaceably arranged inside the receiving space of the valve sleeve between a closed position and an open position, and wherein the valve member opens in the outlet of the flow channel, 
 wherein the valve member has at least one valve member wall which is opposite the at least one inlet opening, wherein the at least one valve member wall comprises at least one through-opening which is opposite the at least one inlet opening, 
 wherein the valve member forms a hollow space in which a diffuser insert is arranged, wherein the diffuser insert redirects the hydraulic fluid in a direction towards the outlet. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hollow space is configured in a closed manner except for the at least one through-opening and an outlet opening. 
     
     
         3 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the diffuser insert is separable from the valve member and is secured on or in the valve member, or wherein the diffuser insert is an integral component of the valve member. 
     
     
         4 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the at least one through opening in the at least one valve member wall comprises a plurality of through-openings, and wherein the diffuser insert comprises partition walls are arranged between pairs of through-openings of the plurality of through-openings. 
     
     
         5 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the partition walls extend as far as the outlet or terminate in front of the outlet. 
     
     
         6 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the valve member is rotatably or displaceably supported in the valve sleeve. 
     
     
         7 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising an adjustment device, and wherein the valve member is connected to the adjustment device. 
     
     
         8 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the diffuser insert is configured in a tapering manner in the direction towards the outlet. 
     
     
         9 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the valve sleeve is configured as part of a housing, or is a separate component from the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the inlet and the outlet are connected in terms of flow to a piston/cylinder unit, and wherein the inlet and the outlet and are respectively connected to an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber which are separated by a piston. 
     
     
         11 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the at least one inlet opening and/or the at least one through-opening is/are configured as a slot which is orientated obliquely relative to a longitudinal extent of the control valve. 
     
     
         12 . The hydraulic actuator as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the slot is configured in a rectilinear or curved manner and/or changes in terms of a slot width along a longitudinal extent of the slot. 
     
     
         13 . A control valve as claimed in  claim 1 .